Quebec · Year-round resident

Red Crossbills in Quebec

When red crossbills are present in Quebec, when they nest, which native Quebec plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canada 0a–5b yard.

Finches (Fringillidae)Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra

Status in Quebec: Year-round resident
Nesting window: February–December
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: Canada 0a–5b

When to expect red crossbills in Quebec

Red Crossbills live in Quebec all year. Long, cold, snowy winters. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Humid continental in the St. Lawrence valley, boreal forest to the north, tundra in Nunavik.

Nesting in Quebec

Across Quebec, red crossbills typically nest from February–December. Plan around that window: January for setup, December for clean-out.

Warm, humid summers in the south.

Red Crossbills don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as eastern red cedar, eastern white pine, eastern hemlock for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after December.

Native Quebec plants that attract red crossbills

Of the regional native plants we track for Quebec, these 7 provide food or cover red crossbills use:

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus · Tree

Seed-rich cones and year-round shelter.

Eastern hemlock

Tsuga canadensis · Tree

Small cones for siskins and chickadees; dense winter roosting.

Balsam fir

Abies balsamea · Tree

Spruce-budworm habitat and dense winter roosting cover.

White spruce

Picea glauca · Tree

Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills.

Black spruce

Picea mariana · Tree

Persistent cones in boreal bogs.

Tamarack

Larix laricina · Tree

Deciduous conifer with small cones for siskins and redpolls.

Feeding red crossbills through the Quebec year

Top foods: Black-oil sunflower, Hulled sunflower.
In Quebec's winter: Long, cold, snowy winters.

Full diet breakdown for red crossbills · Best feeder for red crossbills

Frequently asked

Are red crossbills in Quebec year-round?

Yes. Red Crossbills are year-round residents in Quebec.

When do red crossbills nest in Quebec?

Nesting in Quebec typically runs February–December, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 2–5 eggs, incubated for 12–16 days.

What native plants attract red crossbills in Quebec?

Eastern red cedar, Eastern white pine, Eastern hemlock, Balsam fir, White spruce, Black spruce, Tamarack are native plants in Quebec that provide food or cover for red crossbills.

Other backyard birds in Quebec

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Wild Turkey Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Scarlet Tanager Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Eastern Whip-poor-will Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Black-backed Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing Bobolink Rusty Blackbird Rock Pigeon

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.